Privileged Access Management

Privileged Access Problem Statement

All organizations have privileged accounts...

All organizations have privileged accounts. Systems like Windows, Unix, core middleware and applications all come with them built in. Without them, systems would not function. These "God-like" accounts are essential...and they are a huge problem.

Normally these highly privileged accounts...

Normally these highly privileged accounts...(they are called that because they are so powerful) are used by whole teams of people; the Windows system admins all need to be able to access Administrator on all the Windows systems in an organization, for instance. This means they either have the same password, or you need a way for them to find the password, which them makes it problematic if the password is changed.

Not only will sysadmins use these...

Not only will sysadmins use these accounts, but so will malware and worms, as well as bad people on the inside or intruders that found their way in from the outside.

Most organizations recognize they need...

Most organizations recognize they need tooling, but there is so much analysis that needs to be done before even thinking about deploying a technology solution.

The process of how the business and developer...

The process of how the business and developer community functions on a day-to-day needs to change as there is no monitoring or auditing and that is a major risk.

Malicious insiders know their way around the systems and the value of admin accounts. 50% are current employees and 50% are former employees.

We have the perfect solution!

In order to roll out an effective program, one must understand what privileged accounts exist, who is using them and what the existing workflows and process surrounding them are. SPHERE has years of experience helping customers prepare for the implementation of Privileged Access Management tools and processes by carrying out the essential initial review for your most highly privileged accounts.

Delivering a PAM solution without impacting highly critical services such as break-glass, trouble-ticket management and the like is critical in the success of the program. Rolling out Privilege Access Management is a big challenge even for the most well prepared and technically capable organizations. The SPHERE team has planned and delivered some of the largest Privilege Access Management deployments and can help to manage the processes in a controlled, effective and efficient manner.

It’s important to start implementing a Least Privileged Access model and reduce unnecessary privileged access where appropriate. Simply because an account has elevated privileges does not mean it needs it. SPHERE will identify owners of these accounts, validate its requirements and start removing excessive and inappropriate access. This “pruning” will streamline necessary PAM processes, remove the unneeded noise of managing accounts that aren’t required and will simplify the program overall

Key elements for a successful deployment are prioritization, communication plans, owner outreach and training, process integration and so much more. Success is more than simply installing and configuring a tool. SPHERE’s architects have been involved in the design and delivery of some of the largest PAM deployments in the world, covering well over 100,000 highly privileged accounts spanning four continents and impacting systems and services involved in $billions of transactions daily.

In order for PAM to be successful long term, ongoing management and process alignment is essential and careful consideration must be had to ensure ongoing risk management. Deploying a Privilege Access solution is just the start of your road to successfully controlling access to highly privileged accounts. Connecting these processes to you Joiner/Mover/Leaver and recertification controls will make the difference between a degrading control and one that stands the test of time. You can leverage SPHERE’s experience in building sustainable governance control systems which are effective and efficient to ensure that your PAM solution is fit for the present and the future.

Join SPHERE for the last Jersey City Tech Meetup of the year! Hosted at the NJCU, we will hear from UN Special Advisor, Radia Funna, and UN Creative and TEDx vet Lisa Russel. More information on the event can be found here: ow.ly/LdZ330gXhQF - hope to see you there! ... See MoreSee Less